Remember To Breathe
by beautifulgarbage1
Summary: 3 years after Katie has left Cuba, Suzy make a plan to relieve Katie of the stresses about getting married.Katies is off only to run into Javier.He not also finds out about her fiance' but is going to do whatever to make her give herself back to him.
1. What Dreams May Come

**Remember To Breathe**

Chapter One: What Dreams May Come

Author: Whitney

Date: 11-18-04

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible.   
Mother Teresa

So there she was, Katie Miller standing in front of a full length mirror and not having a clue what to wear. Considering her fair complexion she came closer to the mirror. Like every young person her age, she picked and scrutinized her appearance. Hair was too blonde, she had large pores and her nose was huge. She frowned at herself. She was always so critical to herself, never happy with anything. Her body hadn't really changed over the years, her figure still trim and tall. Her face had a more mature glow to it though. She no longer looked naïve and somewhat impractical.

For the last three years she had kept her head in her books, never looking up to see what was in front of her. Never caring to see what was going to happen the nest day. Although she wouldn't ever admit it to anyone not even herself it seemed, but she lacked the passion she use to have. She had no idea either, the pain that had shown in her eyes every time she saw either a couple dancing or Cuban music playing. Her eyes would glaze over and she would feel the anguish run through her bones. It had hurt so badly for that first year, all the memories coming back constantly. But, even though she never got over it, the pain dulled after a while, went away sometimes.

Her parents had moved her and Suzy to New York the summer after they had left Cuba. Katie had always wanted to live in New York. She had thought maybe the bustle of the city and people could help get her minds off things. Things she wished to never talk about.

She never told anyone or said anything about Cuba or what she had left behind there three years ago. I mean considering the circumstances she couldn't just not lead normal life, she kept up in school and made sure she had fun while she was at it. Dating Patrick for the last year had been the proof she had moved on, everyone else was so convinced about it that she thought that her heart was too. When Patrick had asked her to marry him, she hadn't known what to say. Flattery ensued but Katie also thought, maybe being married wouldn't be so bad. The moment before she had said yes, she thought of someone she wished was really in Patrick's place at that moment.

Patrick wasn't a bad guy; he was actually socially and parentally expectable. Her Mom and Dad had exceptionally loved Pat; he seemed like her would be a great husband. Katie sighed and relaxed her shoulders, she felt like she was in a straight line in her life. After moving away from Cuba everything had been an emotional mess for her. Maybe now it was going to get better.

Hearing the door click, she turned around to see her blonde sister walk in with a chipper look on her tan face. Suzy charming smile always made Katie's heart warm. Suzy had gown up to be more mature but also beautiful. Her hair had darkened quite a bit, but she still had blonde streaks in it from the early summer. Katie grinned as Suzy sat down on bed, crossing her legs and looked at Katie.

"I can't believe he's taking you into the city to see a Ballet, what kind of a one year anniversary is that...?" Suzy asked her sister, an almost mad look on her face.

"I know Suz, It's not like I can just say no to it...he's trying to be sweet. I just-"

"O be quiet, I know what you're going to say." Suzy frowned at Katie as she tucked some of her long hair behind her ear. Suzy looked at Katie as Katie walked over to her closet and grabbed one of the other dresses out, it was red with black lace around the middle.

"Yeah wear that one, I like that one. It's really pretty; you always look good in red..." Suzy replied trying to make the atmosphere more pleasant.

Suzy looked at her sister painfully; she knew how much Katie missed Cuba. The summer had just started a week ago for the both of them and already Katie was so caught up in making plans for her wedding in the fall. Katie was becoming sleep deprived already and seem like she needed a break. Suzy needed something for her sister, before she started school again. She had always had the perfect idea of what to do for her but never really gotten down to it. Also it would take a ton of convincing to get Katie to do it.

Rightfully so, Suzy hated Patrick. No, hates not the right word...Hated with a passion more like it. He reminded her so much of James Phelps it was sickening, dark chocolate hair and piercing eyes. His eyes were almost to convincing. He also sweet talked too well also, he had her parents wrapped around his fingers. Katie was so blind to it all; she had been blind to everything. You think being the older sister Katie would see but Suzy from afar was probably the one most clued in.

Suzy could remember the nights a year ago when Katie would scream out Javier's name when she was dreaming. Suzy would come rushing in to see a sweat soaked Katie and help bring her back to reality. Katie had never told Suzy about her dreams, she never wanted to. More or less they were nightmares than dreams.

Suzy watched Katie go the bathroom to put her dress on. Katie needed to be reminded of something. Suzy glanced over to look at her sisters silver vanity mirror sitting on her dresser. Nest to her mirror laid a picture of Katie and herself in Cuba. She always kept the pictures of her and Javier hidden. So they would bring back memories. Suzy just couldn't watch Katie throw her passion away. Her passion for life that she once had, it hurt to see Katie at her worst.

Patrick wrapped his strong arms around the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

She leaned into his chest as he embraced her. The ballet had been nice. The dancers were amazing; they did an interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. It was quite good.

Katie looked up at Patrick face. He had sharp features and stunning green eyes.

She longed to look up and see soft brown eyes. His eyes had been fiery, understanding and soft all at the same time. Patrick seemed to lack the passion that Javier had possessed.

Even though Javier had only been nineteen at the time he could still have probably made any woman's heart quiver.

Smiling reassuringly she kissed Patrick plainly on the lips and grabbed his hand. The New York Summer heat was starting to get to her. Sweat formed on her light brow. Her long shoulder length blonde hair was tied up thankfully.

"Thanks for dinner tonight and the Ballet, I really enjoyed it." She said as she turned to Patrick.

"Of course, you deserved it, for putting up with me all this time." He grinned at her and she flashed him a weak but convincing smile. She let her smile fade as she looked up towards the night sky then back down to her gloves. She slipped over her black lace gloves that matched her dress. She took off her left one then looked at her ring. It was a simple gold band with a small diamond hard-pressed into it. The ring was beautiful, but Katie started to hate it. She would never become disloyal though. She just couldn't do that to someone; break Patrick's heart like that.

Katie sighed and glanced at Patrick as they walked down the city streets.

Patrick giving Katie a loving look, "Honey we better get a cab. It's getting late. I don't want you to get home to late; I'm leaving for Chicago in the morning for a meeting. I'll be back on Wednesday of next week..."

"I know Pat, I'll miss you while your gone." She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, "your right, we better get going..."


	2. Passions Of the heart

**A/N: I'm continuing my story! Wahoo! Hehe, I hoped everyone who read enjoyed the first chapter. Please review my story, ill love you for it!!**

**Remember To Breathe**

Chapter Two: Passions of the Heart

Author: Whitney

Date: 11-18-04

The heat of the summer sun beat through Katie's windows as she wiped the sweat from her upper lip. She sighed as she slipped a tube top on with a light pink knee length skirt made from linen. She grabbed a chiffon scarf and went to pull her hair up in a tight bun. It had become dreadfully hot outside and the buildings air conditioning had gone completely out. She grinned to herself as she remembered her mother earlier that morning yelling at the landlord about it. She bragged about how high the standards of their large apart were and how she demanded the hotel service to be the same.

Katie laughed in the mirror and looked in it. She looked at her figure and almost like a dream she remembered the first time Javier had caught her front of the mirror trying to dance. She grinned as she remembered when he invited her to the Le Rosa Negra and she had politely, because she was going to the 'country club thing'

She looked into the mirror again and almost caught herself with a wide smile on her face, and then she frowned as she got back to reality. 'Idiot Katie, Just forget it....' she told herself

It seemed as though her life three years ago had been mostly a blur, mostly memories. Memories were a good thing to most people but to Katie all they did was bring back a dull pain in her chest and ribs.

Recalling last night Katie grabbed the stool from her vanity and set it in front of her window. She remembered Suzy walked in....

Katie was taking off her black open toed heels as Suzy walked in with a few papers in her slender hands. Her blonde tresses in front of her face as she had previously taken out her hair. The elder blonde woman glanced at her sister and smiled.

"How was your evening, did you go out Joe tonight?' Katie inquired her sister. She got her final shoe off with a sigh as she stood up straight.

Suzy shook her head gently "No I didn't, he had to work at the garage tonight with his dad. But, how was the ballet?" She asked while tucking a few strands away behind her ears. Suzy walked over to Katie's bed and sat down looking at Katie with wondrous eyes.

Katie went to say something nice but Suzy knew Katie frankly to well. Katie just scrunched up her nose and replied with a sad laugh" Terrible......"

Suzy laughed out loud and smiled at her sister," I told you it was a lousy anniversary gift...." She laughed again and leaned against the wall that was against that side of the bed. Katie walked to her sister and pointed to her zipper in the back. The girls exchanged no words as Suzy did it as thought it was second nature.

"That color really does look good on you, but you look even better in a red orange..." Suzy said grinning at her sister.

Katie shook her head disapprovingly as she knew which dress her sister was talking of. She after all did get to keep it. It never occurred to her why she never wore it again, probably because they were in Americas. She would probably get a lot of nasty remarks if she did wear it. Suzy smiled at Katie and looked down at the papers in her hands.

"Listen, I've been thinking lately. You always seemed tired and anxious and never relaxed. Since all of the stress with the wedding, don't you think you need a little break? You've been running around like a crazy person to get stuff done." she asked her sister as pleasantly as possible.

"I don't know Suz; I have a lot of things to do here right now. I can't just leave everything." She said patiently as she took off her dress and slipped into her pajamas.

She turned around to hang up her dress when Suzy stood up.

"But it would be like a vacation, it would be just you and me. Mom said she'd take care of everything while we're gone. You won't have to worry about anything."

"I don't think I can, I mean come on you've got to think about Joe and what he'll think." Katie said looking up at her sister gingerly.

"I don't care Katie, I don't want you, Five years from now waking up and realize your life is a mistake and you should have taken a different route!! I remember all those times you cried yourself to sleep, I remember you having awful nightmares about Javier getting killed. I was there for everything and I know how you still think of him everyday, passion like that just doesn't go away!!" Suzy strained her voice as if her life depended on it. She looked at her sister with deplorable eyes as almost as if she felt sorry for her.

"Wait a minute!!! Whoever said anything about going to Cuba? Are mom and dad in on this too?? Suzy, I'm getting married in five months!! I can't see.....It's hard enough to forget, it would hurt so bad to leave again- if I saw him again?" The realization stung at her chest and face as she felt her throat swell." I just don't think.... It would be as if I started everything all over again. I just can't. Suzy..." gasps of breath raked in her throat as she gasped for air as she covered her mouth with her hands. Suzy got up to and as she did, Katie grasped to her sister as if she was life support. "It just hurts to bad-."

"Shh...I Know it hurts, but you half to do this. If you're not going to do this for yourself, do it for me. I just haven't seen you actually happy since the day we left Cuba. You're smiles aren't real anymore, you haven't been yourself for the last three years, I just miss you... -"Suzy caught the words in her mouth as Katie walked over to the bed and sat down.

Katie wiping the tears from her red beaten face, swallowed hard.

"If we do this, it just has to be us right? Do you promise me that?" Suzy looked at her sister.

"Yes just us... I promise..."

Katie sighed as she looked down through her window. She couldn't believe she let her little sister talk her into this. It was like a dream. That night when Suzy had finally calmed her down, she had started to pack. Suzy had helped her hurry considering they're flight left the next day around seven in the evening. She just couldn't accept it..

She had already phoned Patrick and told him what was going on. He was actually very tremendous about it. He told her to take as long as she needed for her vacation. She was surprised he didn't mind that she was leaving on such short notice. Truly Patrick was a good man. And yes, she could see herself marrying him.

Katie grinned and looked at the clock; she didn't know what she way thinking. Was she going crazy or something? Being in Cuba again, and seeing Javier again was something she couldn't even think about. Maybe by going to Cuba one last time she could help get rid of old feelings? But no, she couldn't she couldn't hurt Patrick; she loved him and cared for him. She wasn't going to do anything that would make Patrick stop loving her, he was the only thin that kept her life in a straight line.

Katie closed her eyes and put her feet up on the window seal feeling a light breeze that ticked her damp face. She was going to Cuba.


End file.
